Many Trails To Travel, Many Tales To Tell

By Barbara B. Baker, Event & Volunteer Coordinator

Lake Hodges

And the Land Before Time

There’s water in the Lake!    Even as I say it I realize how ridiculous it sounds – unless of course you’ve been in Southern California these last seven years during the drought.  

Lake Hodges is a man-made reservoir, built and completed in 1918, and the lake is a portion of the San Dieguito River drainage, fed by some 300 square miles of watershed.   Surrounded by diverse plant communities, Lake Hodges is designated as a Globally Important Birding Area.   Lake Hodges is also known for its bass fishing, although in the last few years I’ve seen more birds than fish!

             The San Dieguito River Valley, occupied for centuries by the Kumeyaay people, was also home to earlier Native Americans – the Harris Site located downstream from the Lake Hodges Dam dates back to as early as 7000 B.C. – and when surveying was completed back in 1916 and construction began on the Lake Hodges Dam, there were documented protests of Indian tribe warnings about a river creature.   The “San Diego Union” ascribed it to attempts to stop the project.   But by 1929 UCSD and the Scripps Institute of Oceanography were investigating the reports, which were gaining momentum.  

            I love a good story so I was reeled in, so to speak.   As I hiked the trail along Lake Hodges to the Dam I couldn’t help but notice that the wild beauty reminded me of films I’d seen – “The Land Before Time” and “Journey to the Center of the Earth” among others.   The vegetation here is lush and the habitat includes deer and rabbits and ground squirrels.   I saw them in the brush and along the shoreline.   I was being more watchful than usual, which is to say I was actually observing the details rather than taking in the whole picture, which is what I usually do.   Either way, Lake Hodges, is breathtaking.  

            By 1932 Scripps scientists were sending divers and equipment to the bottom of Lake Hodges.   At one point they used a large cage-like trap with a sea lion as bait.   When the seal disappeared there was a public outcry against using live bait in the research.   Funds by the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Research allowed the research to continue, albeit without the sea lions, until San Diego had to prepare for the war effort; then the Lake Hodges mystery was put on hold for years while national events took center stage.   It wasn’t until the mid-sixties that reports of the elusive sea creature resurfaced.    

            It just depends who you talk to, I discovered early on in my quest.   Some individuals said that the whole notion was ridiculous and where did I hear such a thing?   Others were more receptive, and probably feeling the way I do, would have listened to any story that ignited their imaginations.   There were a couple of local Lake folks who knew all about the tales and argued even among themselves as to the possible validity.   After all, it was pointed out, where could such a creature live?   Truth to tell, it was beginning to sound like we might have our own version of the Loch Ness Monster!

            In the 1970’s SDSU professor Gary Peterson and California Division of Mines and Geology geologist Michael P. Kennedy discovered and mapped an ancient earthquake fault that runs directly through the center of Lake Hodges.   This led to speculation that the ever-changing terrain and biological settings might easily harbor unexplained phenomena.   The elevated vistas and marsh-like wetlands in this coastal canyon are reminiscent, after all, of the land that time forgot: canopied oak forests, rock-strewn hills, and meandering streams.

            I asked Ron Hall, a veteran San Dieguito River Valley Guide and longtime resident in the Lake Hodges area, if he could give a talk about the so-called Hodgee the Lake Monster.   Ron is a born storyteller!   But there are other issues too, I said – such as the current project in the works at Lake Hodges to meet the area’s need for emergency water storage. The initial proposal in 1916 was simple: to provide a large reliable water source. Today a multi-year multi-million dollar water project at Lake Hodges to regulate the lake level is almost underway.  

            So it’s settled – July 9 th from 8:00 – 11:00 a.m. plan to meet across from the Hernandez Hideaway restaurant at Lake Hodges for a four-mile hike to the Dam.   Bring a pen and paper to take notes on the plans to connect Lake Hodges with a reservoir in the Olivenhain area.   Bring your binoculars, too, because you never know what you’ll see!   

            The significance of the San Dieguito River Valley is undeniable.   The Lake Hodges Reservoir is located about 30 miles north of San Diego and just southwest of Escondido and is on the San Dieguito River, which enters the Pacific Ocean at Del Mar.  

            For another Lake Hodges event, on June 4 th join River Valley Guide Heather Rosing, an active San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy member, and discover the eating habits of the earliest San Diegans.   Travel along the Lake Hodges Trail to the Dam and learn to spot native plants on this heart-healthy hike.   Heather will discuss the value and use of the flora in our backyard and even provide recipes!   Come and celebrate the legacy of the Kumeyaay Culture.  

 Photographs of Lake Hodges a courtesy of Jim Whitaker, Center Lead Collections Technician at the San Diego Archaeological Center.   

  If you have a favorite trail or story please contact me at Barbara@sdrp.org.   History isn’t always in the books; sometimes it’s in the stories!   Share your history with the San Dieguito River Park.